2018 Ford Ranger Raptor – Thai production kicks off

Production of the highly anticipated Ford Ranger Raptor has finally begun in Thailand, and here is a quick 90-second video chronicling the build process from start to finish. The performance pick-up is already on sale in the Land of Smiles, and it is bound for other markets such as Australia, and of course Malaysia.

To refresh your memory, the Ford Performance-badged variant isn’t just a Ranger T6 with some dress-up bits slapped on. It’s equipped with the Blue Oval’s new 2.0 litre EcoBlue twin-turbo diesel, which offers 213 PS and 500 Nm of torque, which is more than the 200 PS/470 Nm made by the 3.2 litre Duratorq straight five Panther unit.

The engine is paired with a Getrag 10R80 10-speed automatic transmission, which is a departure from the current 6R80 six-speeder in the 2.2L and 3.2L variants. The new gearbox features a wider ratio-span, offering improved acceleration, responsiveness and quicker gearshifts. Suffice to say, this unit is clearly preferred for the Raptor.

Elsewhere, it gets twin-piston front calipers that are 9.5 mm larger than a regular Ranger’s, and these clamp on to 332 mm ventilated rotors. It sits on 17-inch model-specific alloys and 285/70 profile BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres, and is also equipped with a set of 46.6 mm Fox Racing Shox dampers. The Position Sensitive Damping (PSD) units offer high damping forces on off-road excursions and comfort-oriented lower forces in the mid-travel zone when running on tarmac.

Styling-wise, it wears the famous Raptor pack, including the new frame-mounted front bumper and a dedicated blacked-out grille complete with large Ford lettering. Also on are revised fender flares, which are made of composites to better resist physical damage like dents and dings. At the back, the rear bumper comes with an integrated tow bar and two recovery hooks rated at 3.8 tonnes.

Inside, the cabin comes with sports seats complete with blue stitching, leather accents and a Raptor logo. There’s also a sportier-looking steering wheel and magnesium paddle shifters, among other things. Watch our walk-around video below to get a glimpse of what’s to come.

GALLERY: 2018 Ford Ranger Raptor world debut in Bangkok

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Matthew H Tong

An ardent believer that fun cars need not be fast and fast cars may not always be fun. Matt advocates the purity and simplicity of manually swapping cogs while coping in silence of its impending doom. Matt's not hot. Never hot.

 

Comments

  • Roger on Jul 06, 2018 at 11:01 am

    When will this come to Malaysia?
    I want one

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Logan on Jul 06, 2018 at 11:04 am

    here in my luvly Land Down Under, the Raptor cost bout AUD75000 equivalent to BMW X4 pricing.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Malek Saidin on Jul 06, 2018 at 11:35 am

    Pity it is made in Thailand and not in Malaysia. I feel sad Ford has chosen Thailand to make their base and not Malaysia

    I wonder why all money and investments always go to Thailand?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 13
    • csyyau on Jul 06, 2018 at 3:34 pm

      simple, go study Thailand monthly vehicle registration units then u will know why, their monthly register units equals our 6 months register units

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 1
      • stastasta on Jul 10, 2018 at 10:01 am

        csyyau you dont BS here. malaysia annual TIV is 600k units. you telling me thai annual vehicle registrations is over 3 million units ? maybe you mixed up thailand with india ?

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 1
  • Wong Fei Hong on Jul 06, 2018 at 11:44 am

    Yummy…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Huzer Shanizal on Jul 07, 2018 at 12:06 am

    1000% confirm buy.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

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